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Many of you have heard me say that I have one of the best jobs in the world, in part because I get many, many daily hugs from a place of true affection and unconditional love from your daughters. The last two weeks, however, I have noticed and been reminded of a trend that occurs at this time of year. The frequency of those hugs increases. They are a little tighter, and they last a little longer. In my mind, your daughters are beginning to feel the end of the school year approaching, and they do not quite know what to do with the feelings of excitement for summer, sadness at having to say goodbye and worry for September. So, they hug, tighter and longer and more often.

This is a crazy time of year. Period. Both in schools and at home, the pace begins to pick up as we adults also begin to realize that we are living on borrowed time to accomplish all the goals we set for ourselves and our little ones back in August. There is so much, all of a sudden, to do, and so little time. But for as much as we are feeling out of sorts ourselves about the end of one adventure and the beginning of another, we must remember that our girls are always watching us, and how we behave will determine how successfully they hold themselves together these last few weeks.

So, what is one to do? Here are a few tips to get through the next two weeks:

Stick to the schedule. With the sun setting later and later, the idea of fitting in “just one more thing” before bedtime becomes incredibly tempting. But now is not the time to let structure fall away or push bedtime back. Your girls thrive on routine, and keeping to the schedule will help them stay focused.

Pace yourself. At this time of year, the number of special activities and invitations will increase. It’s okay to say no in favor of some extra family time, appropriate bedtime or just good old quiet time doing absolutely nothing.

Remember that transition can sometimes mean loss. As exciting as moving to the next grade can be, children sometimes need to go through the process of grieving in order to become excited about something new. Leaving behind what has become a second home for the last nine months for summer vacation is both exciting and sad. Allow your daughter to express all aspects of how she is feeling, and validate her lows as well as her highs.